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Members of the media weren’t allowed into the $2,700 a head Hillary Clinton fundraiser in one of the most posh neighborhoods in pot-friendly Portland, Oregon, but that didn’t prevent some details of her talk from being reported upon as some attendees dished some details. Of course, most interesting to us here at Marijuana Politics were her comments about marijuana. Clinton hasn’t been one of the best advocates for sensible cannabis policies, especially compared to her Democratic rival Bernie Sanders or Republican Rand Paul. Clinton’s previous statements on marijuana are basically a do-nothing states’ rights position as she hasn’t even gone quite as far as Donald Trump’s “100%” in support of medical marijuana position.

As Clinton remains the frontrunner, despite her ongoing scandals and the fact that Sanders seems to be gaining upon her, marijuana law reform advocates are hoping to see her move in the right direction and get in line with a vast majority of the Democratic Party that supports legalization. While the presumptive Democratic nominee didn’t go that far, she at least mentioned the plight of marijuana businesses when it comes to banking and the need to treat drug use as a health issue, instead of a criminal matter.

Leah Maurer, who worked on the marijuana legalization campaign last year that her husband Travis helped put together, said the Democratic presidential candidate spoke sympathetically about the banking problems faced by legal marijuana businesses. Federal rules now discourage banks from doing business with cannabis firms, hindering their operations and forcing them to keep large sums of cash on hand.

“It was very brief but when she said that there was big applause,” said Maurer, adding that “just the fact that she said the word cannabis in a positive light was huge to me.”

Maurer said Clinton also talked about focusing more on treating drug abuse as a mental health issue.

Additionally, Leah Maurer added via email that the “Oregon cannabis industry community was well represented at the event, which was probably only about 100 people total. The applause and cheering when she mentioned cannabis was louder than it was on several other important issues she mentioned.

She mentioned the banking issue very briefly, but went on to talk about how we need reform in the areas of mental health and addiction services in our country, particularly in the area of our veterans after mentioned cannabis. This gives me hope that she is leaning toward advocating treating drug use/abuse as a public health issue and not a crime, which is how it should be.”

(Full disclosure, I have known both Leah Maurer, quoted in the Oregonlive story, and her husband Travis for more than a decade and am so glad that they have gone from suffering thru a horrific SWAT-like paramilitary raid for marijuana into two of the top cannabis law reform advocates in the country. Oregon wouldn’t have legalized marijuana without them and they are setting their sights on ending cannabis prohibition in Missouri.)

I am currently an unabashed Bernie Sanders fan (#FeelTheBern) at this moment and think that he would ultimately be the best candidate on marijuana law reform, but I hope that he and other Democrats can help move Hillary Clinton towards the rest of the party on marijuana legalization as she is still the frontrunner and is the odds on favorite to be the next President of the United States. I do think that her expensive fundraiser is a stark contrast to Bernie Sanders’ upcoming rally which is free, will be attended by thousands and has the top agenda item as getting big money out of politics.

I think that Sanders, , being a “candidate of the people” that relies upon small donations instead of big donations from wealthier individuals and special interests puts him more in touch with the plight of those devastated by the Drug War. However, if Clinton is the next POTUS, she will likely continue to follow President Obama’s cautious approach and not interfere with states’ marijuana lives, but hopefully more discussion around marijuana laws, like the one in Portland, will help Clinton understand that ending marijuana prohibition is both a good policy decision and good politics.

Anthony, a longtime cannabis law reform advocate, was Chief Petitioner and co-author of Measure 91, Oregon's cannabis legalization effort. He served as director of both the New Approach Oregon and Vote Yes on 91 PACs, the political action committees responsible for the state's legalization campaign.
As director of New Approach Oregon, Anthony continues to work towards effectively implementing the cannabis legalization system while protecting small business owners and the rights of patients. He sits on the Oregon Marijuana Rules Advisory Committee and fights for sensible rules at the legislature as well as city councils and county commissions across the state.
Anthony helps cannabis business comply with Oregon's laws and advises advocates across the country. He also serves as content director of both the International Cannabis Business Conference and the Oregon Marijuana Business Conference, helping share the vision of moving the cannabis industry forward in a way that maintains the focus on keeping people out of prison and protecting patients.
He was a member of the Oregon Health Authority Rules Advisory Committee, assisting the drafting of the administrative rules governing Oregon’s state-licensed medical marijuana facilities. He first co-authored and helped pass successful marijuana law reform measures while a law student at the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law. He passed the Oregon Bar in 2005 and practiced criminal defense for two years before transitioning to working full-time in the political advocacy realm.
His blogs on Marijuana Politics are personal in nature and don't speak for or reflect the opinions of any group or organization.